I need help on my one month visit to berlin, Germany.?

Question

first of all for anyone who speaks german what does this mean? (wie ghet es dir?). anyways im planning to go to berlin for a month during this upcoming summer. I just want 2 know how life is in berlin. about how much is a dollar there and what can it buy? Do I have to speak german in order to get around or do people speak enlish there too? How is transportation? and are there any delicious german food? this will be really helpful, thanks.

p.s. if anyone can give me german lessons, that would be really nice. my email is "[e-mail]" and my AIM screename is "hugsnki33e3". thanks

Answer 1

"Wie geht es dir" is "How are you". (not everybody in germany will answer just "good and you" - some may take it serious and start to talk about their problems, hehe - but normally not)

One dollar is at the moment about 0.7 to 0.8 Euros. Living costs vary very much in Berlin. For example, there are bakeries where one bun is 0.05 to 0.10 Euros, but it can go up to as much as 0.5 euros.

For half a litre beer (in a bar or restaurant) you pay about 1 euro to 3.50 euro. For a snack (Wurst, Doener or Hamburger) you pay about 1 euro to 4 euro. For a complete meal it's 5 to 15 euro. Renting a flat for one person is about 250 to 400 euros (including gas and so on). A CD is about 10 to 17 euro, as is a DVD; clothing is from 20 euros to 80 euros for example for jeans and 10 to 30 euros for a t-shirt. Entrance in clubs is normally 5 euros, with famous DJs 10 euros.

Public transport is very good in Berlin, there are even metro trains running through the whole night on the weekend. A monthly berlin public transport pass costs about 70 euro, you can travel through berlin as much as you want with this ticket (there is a special monthly ticket with which you can ride every day from 10 o'clock a.m. for 50 euro; single ticket is 2,10 euro).

There are buses, trains, S-Bahn (city trains), U-Bahn (metro, mostly underground, but sometimes also overground) and Trams in Berlin.

Nearly everybody below 35 speaks english more or less properly, some people tend to answer very shortly though. It's recommended to speak some basic german though.

There is a special turkish  (but invited in Berlin) snack called Doener, bread with special meat, salad and garlic or other sauce in it. For german dishes: http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/...

And for Berlin in general:

http://www.berlin.de/english/

http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de...

Answer 2

Wie geht es dir, or more commonly Wie geht's means literally how is it going with you, or how are you.  The most common response is Es geht mir gut, or It's going well with me.

I spent a month in Berlin in 2005 and recommend it highly.  I would spend some time learning German, at least basic German.  You might check out Pimsleur - they give you the first 8 lessons for 19.95 - that and a phrasebook should do for a traveler.  While many people speak English, particularly on the former west side of the city, you must remember that for folks who grew up in the former East Germany, the second language was not English - but rather Russian.  So there are fewer English speakers than you might find elsewhere in Germany.  In any case, don't let that stop you!  You can communicate.  Learn the most basic.

If you are there for a calendar month, get the monthly local transport pass. Transport is great in Berlin. Don't get the one that goes out to area C - that's Potsdam, and such - you will want the A/B pass only.  It costs 70 Euro, or close to 100 dollars, but it is worth it since it's your transport for the whole month.  If you want to go to area C - and you will once for Potsdam, anyway, you can buy just a special add-on card, rather than paying a full fare.  If you're not traveling for a calendar month, there is a weekly pass also, but the monthly is the best deal.  There is nowhere in Berlin you can't get to on public transport. Get a map, especially if you are going to be using busses or streetcars.

Berlin is a relatively inexpensive city, at least compared to Bonn, Munich, and the like, and you can do quite well, depending on where you stay.  There are many good hostels, which can be great, but I prefer small german style pensions or hotels.  I can't recommend one, since I was a  student when I visited and had a home stay, but someone else can.  I have stayed in the Hostelling international hostel in Berlin, on an earlier trip, and while it is clean and comfortable, I'm not sure you'd want to spend a month there.  You might want a single, rather than a dorm room.  ALthough it is very conveniently located just south of the Tiergarten.

Threre is no dollar, but rather a Euro, which is worth about $1.35 US dollars today.  It changes.  

There is much delicious German Food - I'm not sure what you are looking for, but in Berlin the German Food can include Turkish, the Doner sandwich, sold everywhere, is a favorite, as is the Turkish pizza and Felafel sandwiches.  The big fast food of Berlin, and you should definitely try it, is currywurst.  Berlin is a very international city, so they have all kinds of food - good italian, chinese, thai, etc. etc.  A couple of places I enjoyed a dinner included Vau, very expensive, but a 9 course tasting menu to die for.  On the inexpensive side I liked Deponie - near the Friedrichstrasse station, a little hard to find, near the Univerisity.  But just try stuff, it is hard to go wrong.  Wurst or sausages are a favorite, but also try baked dishes, and many others.  This is a bit hard for me since I am a vegetarian.

Of course you should try beer, and the local specialty is Berliner Weisse, a light beer with rasberry (red or rot), or herbal (green or gruen) syrup in it.  I like it quite a lot.  

You did not ask about things to see, I'll suggest that the area around Kurfurstendamm in the west, and the stretch of Unter den Linden from the Brandenburg Gate are the big tourist places, also visit Potsdammer Platz, and get out of town to Potsdam and Oranienburg, the latter to see the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. Go and wander in Prenzenlauer Berg in the evenings.

Have a great time!